The Rich Boy and the Painter
by DisneyAddictGirl
Summary: Just a story about how a handsome rich boy meets a beautiful but broken painter.
1. Chapter 1

May 27, 2015

Nothing is a worse alarm than the sun itself. I could feel its heat on my face and see its brightness through my eyelids. I groaned, throwing off the covers and standing up. My head was pounding, and the light really did nothing to help.

I waddled towards the huge window, struggling yet managing to pull down the blinds. I sighed when the sun was finally out of view. Yawning, I whirled around and walked towards my bathroom.

The thing about my bathroom that I had been recently hating was the huge mirror that rested on the wall above the faucet. As always, I kept my head down while brushing my teeth, knowing I'd hate the sight of my reflection.

After being done with that I turned on the bathtub's faucet, putting the plug in the drain to let it fill up. Glancing at the clock on the wall I smiled when I saw that it was only a quarter past 8. I was getting better at waking up early despite of my actions the night before.

When the bathtub was almost full I turned off the faucet and then grabbed a random bath bomb, plunking it in and watching it fizzle and color the water. This one smelled like roses, and for a brief moment a memory of white rose petals and beautiful brown eyes flashed in my mind before I abruptly pushed it away.

I got in, resting my head back, letting my thoughts instead take me to the land of painting. I had to go to my studio today. I'd started going back and taking jobs a few months ago, after almost a year of neglecting it. I had to admit that holding a paintbrush again felt good, and the satisfaction that came with finishing a job was definitely worth it.

Thirty minutes later I dried myself, changing into a simple pair of jeans and tee. I locked up the house, smiling awkwardly at my neighbor as she sat outside in her rocking chair. The air felt cool, and I smiled as autumn finally started making it's appearance after months of scorching heat.

I peel out of the drive way, the loud screeching making my neighbor cringe. I grin, not feeling bad since she was the one who ran over my mail box two weeks ago. I put on music, drumming my fingers as Brendon Urie's voice fills the car. Singing along and failing to match his vocals, I make my way to my tiny blue studio.

...

I've been working with him for about two months now, and after all that time he finally asks the question.

"Are you married?"

He's taken notice of the wedding band that hangs around my neck in a gold chain. It's a simple question, a normal question, but I can't help feeling like someone's stabbed me with a fork. I lower my brush, my eyes not leaving the painting. I know what they must look like, most people always say they look sad when he's brought up. Frankly I don't know what else they expect.

"I used to be" I answer, my voice soft.

He looks up at me, and I finally meet his eyes. They're a beautiful icy blue that almost always give me goosebumps. "I'm sorry..."

I shrug, like I always do. "It was a long time ago."

The silence that follows next is awkward, neither of us knowing what to say. We stay quiet long enough that the wet paint has now begun to dry around the edges. He finally clears his throat, stands, and begins to make his way towards the door.

"I'll uh, I'll come back another day if you want."

I shake my head, "No, it's okay. And besides, the deadline for this painting is coming up and I know how upset your mom will get if it's not ready."

He chuckles and nods. "Yeah, you're right. Hey can I see the painting?"

"What?"

"Can I see it? I mean I've been sitting on that same chair for hours at a time and I've always wondered if the portrait version of me is just as handsome as the real me."

I laugh and nod, "Sure."

He gets up and comes to stand behind me, close enough that I can feel his body heat. He's quiet as he inspects it, and it seems like he's trying to study every brush stroke I've made. After a while I hear him let out a low whistle, and I turn to see him grinning.

"This is good, like really good."

"Thanks. I still have to work out a few details on your face and I still have to finish the small silver designs on the front of your waistcoat vest, but aside from that and a few small things, it's basically almost done."

"Nice," he says and then moves back to sit down on the fancy chair in front of me. He strikes the same pose as always and proceeds to sit still for the next hour. He makes conversation as usual. He talks about how he really wishes he could spend his actual birthday somewhere fun, like a ski resort instead of having his birthday party months before his actual birthday in some fancy ballroom full of strangers. After his rant is over he switches topics and mentions how he hopes he can get out of the family business to go and work as an elementary teacher.

"Really? I didn't picture you as the type of guy who liked kids."

"Why?"

"Well...I don't know, you just seem so...silly?."

He snorts and shakes his head.

"Hey! sit still, I'm doing the details on your face."

I continued to work and this time he insisted on being the one listening to me talk. I agree and tell him how I ended up dropping out of college before going to art school, with him making a few comments every now and then. By the time I'm done talking the painting is done, and I stare admiringly at it.

"Is it possible that you've made me look even more handsome?" I hear him jokingly ask from behind me.

"Oh shut up."

He takes off his suit jacket and his waistcoat while I set the painting aside.

"What time are you coming by to pick it up tomorrow?" I ask as I go and put my brushes in the sink.

He doesn't answer and I turn to see him fidgeting with his hands. "Jack?"

"Um...well I was hoping you could drop it off on the day of the party..."

"What?"

"Well I...you know I don't want this party. It's going to be full of people I don't know or care about. It's just going to be a bunch of rich people trying to one up each other on who's richer and who's more successful."

"Wow, that sounds...unpleasant."

"Oh it is, and don't even get me started on my mother who will introduce me to countless of spoiled rich girls in hopes of finding me a wife."

I laugh, "But why do you want me there?"

"Well, I like you. You're fun to talk to, and unlike most people who will be there, you actually listen to me and to what I say. Come on, Rapunzel, please?"

He gives me a puppy dog look that he knows I won't be able to say no to.

"But I don't even think I have a fancy dress for such an occasion," I sigh.

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it. What's your favorite color?" he asks excitedly.

"Purple?"

"Alright, expect a purple dress to arrive at your doorstep by Friday morning along with the invitation," he says, turning around and marching at the door. He stops abruptly and then doubles back to give me a hug. It caught me off guard, but I hug him back after a few seconds of stunned silence.

"Alright, see you Saturday night!" he calls out as he detaches himself from me and walks out of the studio.

"Yeah, see you Saturday," I call out weakly, still standing in the middle of my now empty art studio.

* * *

 **No I am not abandoning The Pirate Queen, I just figured since it's going to take me a while to finish chapter 23 you guys might like this. It didn't start out as a Jackunzel story, but I mean how could it not turn into one. I don't know if I'll make it an actual story, I guess if it receives good feedback then maybe this will be my next project after The Pirate Queen.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

May 30, 2015

As soon as I walked through the door with the painting in my hand, I knew I should've just had them pick it up at the studio instead. The house was filled with fancy people wearing all sorts of expensive clothes. I maneuvered my way around them, avoiding the looks being sent my way. I knew people stared at me, they always did, and I didn't mean to say that in a conceited way.

In my neighborhood people stared because I was the sad widow who lost her husband because of a few burglars. Back at the plaza where my studio was, people stared because I was the painter who had abandoned her studio for months. But even before all of that, people stared because I was the green-eyed girl with natural golden hair unlike anyone else's. And I could tell as I made my way around the massive house, that people were staring because of that.

"Rapunzel!" I heard someone call out, and I turned to see Jack excusing himself from a group of people to make his way over to me. He was smiling big, and he gradually slowed down as he took in my whole appearance. I had on simple makeup, and my hair had been done in a simple yet fancy braid, and I was wearing the dress he'd sent. It was a wine colored purple, with a sweetheart neckline and a flowing skirt that flared out half-way down my waist, the hem barely touching the floor.

"You look stunning," he said once he reached me.

"Thank you. You look really handsome too," I smiled up at him, and he scratched the back of his head, looking down at his feet as blush tinted his cheeks.

"Thanks, uh, come with me, I can show you where the painting will be hung up."

He took my hand in his, turning around and dragging me behind him as he walked around the elegant house. We stopped in front of two wooden sliding doors. Jack slid one open and walked inside, taking me with him. Inside was a large room with a piano in the middle, and behind it hung two portraits on the wall. One was of a handsome man, with blonde hair and blue eyes, leaning on his a bookshelf with a book in his hands. The other was of a beautiful woman with brown hair and brown eyes, a small and playful smile on her lips as she sat on a stone bench in a pretty garden.

"Are those your parents?" I asked, leaning the painting down to lean against the leg of the piano.

"Yeah, they got them made a few months after their engagement."

I walked up to the portraits, inspecting them with my artistic eye. "They look so young," I commented.

Jack came up to stand next to me, "Well, they were really young when they met. Their parents had arranged for them to get married young. Dad was the son of a wealthy business man, next in line to inherit the company, and mom was the daughter of a wealthy designer and successful author. Luckily for them they actually fell in love though, so their marriage is happy."

I smiled, "Sounds like an actual fairy tale."

Jack shrugged, "In a way, I guess it does."

I turned to face him, "So if you're getting your portrait done, does this mean you've got a fiance somewhere getting hers done?"

Jack snorted, "No, god no. Mom just wanted one done because she felt it was time I had my own portrait."

I nodded, and then made my way over to my own painting. I had a drape over it, keeping it safe from dirt and dust. "So when will you hang it up?" I asked as I removed the drape, looking back and forth between the three paintings as I compared them.

Jack came up and picked it up, placing it over the piano. He wandered over to a wooden closet and opened both doors. There was a canvas frame at the bottom and he grabbed it. "I guess now is as good a time as any. I'd rather do it now when no one else is around, since that way when they come in and see it I won't be here to hear their criticism."

I shook my head, "Isn't this your party? Aren't you obligated to be there?"

Jack laughed, "Does it really look like I wanted this party?" he asked as he fitted the canvas into the frame. "I'd rather be anywhere else, trust me." Once he was done, he placed the piano bench under the spot where the painting would be. He then stood next to it, looking at me as if waiting.

"What?" I asked.

"It's your artwork, you should hang it up," he smiled at me, holding out his hand. I picked the framed painting up, making my way over to him. I placed my hand in his and then stepped up onto the bench. I could feel Jack move to stand behind me, and carefully, praying I didn't lose my balance, I placed the painting over the small hook in the wall.

"Perfect!" I heard him say, and I stepped down to look at it. It looked good. The art style was different from the other two, but it looked like it belonged there. Jack was sitting on a fancy chair in the painting, holding a wooden staff he'd chosen in one hand while he leaned on his other arm. His face was resting on his palm and his eyes seemed to stare past anyone who stood directly in front of the painting . When I was working on the face, I would always tell Jack to stare at the vase that stood behind me on my right, and to make whatever expressions he wanted. He'd chosen a mischievous smirk, which he wore on his face every time I scolded him for looking at me and not the vase.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Hmm?" He turned to look at me, and I looked up at him.

"You wanna get out of here? I know this place where they serve really good frozen yogurt."

Jack grinned and nodded. We turned to go and then quietly made our way out of the house through a back door. We then ran towards my car and jumped in. There was a rumble in the sky and pretty soon rain started to fall. I started the car while Jack cracked the window slightly open. He stuck out his hand and let the raindrops fall on his palm. I scolded him to close it, and he flung the droplets in my direction as he did what I told him.

I began to make my way towards the small frozen yogurt place that was in the same plaza as my studio. I turned off the radio once music started to blare through the speakers, and we instead listened to the sound of the rain pounding on the roof of the car.

...

June 6, 2015

The music was playing loudly in the studio as I washed my paintbrushes in the backroom. I didn't have any clients coming in, so I'd taken the opportunity to clean up my brushes and various palettes. I should have probably lowered the music, so that way I would've heard the door opening, and the footsteps that were creeping up behind me.

Two hands grabbed my sides and began to tickle me. I let out a shrill scream as I whirled around and swung a wet palette at the person. It connected with their head and I watched as they stumbled away from me. I ran to turn off the music and then walked back towards the person.

"You could've given me a heart attack!" I exclaimed.

"You could've burst my ear drums with that scream!" Jack retorted, massaging his now wet head. I picked up a hand towel and threw it at him.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you text me that you were coming over?" I asked.

"Oh, I was gonna ask you if you'd eaten lunch yet," he said as he dried his hair with the towel.

I shook my head, "I haven't had time."

"Well, you seem to have time now. Wanna go over to Aster's Diner and Bar?"

I hesitated before answering, and he noticed. "Come on, it's just a friendly lunch with a friend" he said.

I looked down at my paint covered jeans and t-shirt, and then at his nice shirt, jeans, and shoes. "Can I at least change first?"

Jack nodded, "I'll wait for you out front," he said and then walked out. I quickly changed into some simple jeans, a striped blouse, and some sandals. My hair was in a braid so I undid it and left it down. When I walked out Jack was leaning against the glass window.

"Ready?" he asked when he saw me. I nodded and we strolled off towards Aster's. I listened as he began to tell me about how he'd started to teach his neighbor, a kid named Jamie, how to skateboard. I smiled as he talked, unaware that this "friendly lunch" would soon become one of my favorite traditions.


	3. Chapter 3

_April 10th, 2014_

 _'I'll see you in ten minutes. Love you!'_

 _The words kept repeating inside my head as I sat in the hospital waiting room. Those were the last words he'd said to me before walking out of the door. Ten minutes. He was only supposed to be gone for ten minutes. I racked my brain for answers as to how something like this could've happened...in just ten minutes._

 _"Mrs. Rider?" I heard the doctor ask._

 _I brought my head up to look at the man. "Yes?" I stood abruptly, making the plastic chair squeak as I did, wiping the tears that had been running down my face._

 _"Mrs. Rider...I am so sorry, we did everything we could but...he didn't make it off the table," the doctor said in a sympathetic tone._

 _Time slowed down once he finished saying the words, and he stared at me as if waiting for a reaction of some sort, but I just stood frozen. Flynn's last words being replaced by the doctors in my head in an infinite loop. I stared up at the man and tears began to form in my eyes. Managing the smallest of nods I stumbled away from him, turning around and heading for the exit. I could hear the doctor calling my name, but I ignored him._

 _I drove all the way home in shocked silence._

 _When I got home and walked into our bedroom, the heaviness of it all sank in. My breaths began to quicken, making me feel light-headed and I stumbled back, crashing against my vanity._

 _"Flynn is dead...Oh my god..Flynn is dead," I repeated as my words turned into sobs that shook my entire body. I could barely move, and my knees gave out as I finally let out a shrill scream of despair. This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. No...Flynn...My Flynn...he was dead. And I was alone._

 _Everything after that seemed to happen in a blur. I called Merida, and my parents, even though they'd moved to another city a few hours away due to dad's job. Merida got there first, and she gently helped me up, taking me over to the sofa and holding me as I cried._

 _We had Flynn's funeral a few days later. Many people came, all of them sending sad looks my way, and saying they were sorry. The truth was, they weren't. They had nothing to do with this. If they knew what I was going through, they wouldn't have apologized for something that wasn't their fault. But I ignored them, watching the casket that held my love being lowered deep into the ground._

...

July 4, 2015

The air smelled of barbecue and smoke. People mingled about in the yard, talking and laughing as they all anticipated the release of the fireworks. I was sat on one of the benches that rested on the wooden deck when my phone chimed. My best friend Merida was sitting next to me, the two of us talking with her dad, Fergus, as he flipped hamburger patties on the nearby grill.

' _Are you busy?'_ the text from Jack read.

I was about to type a response when Merida grabbed my phone and looked at the message. "Hey, isn't this that pretty boy ye painted back in May?" she asked.

I nodded, reached for the phone.

"Well what does he want now?" she asked as I took back the phone.

"I don't know," I shrugged.

 _'No, why?'_

' _I was just wondering if you and I could hang out'_

Merida, who was reading the text over my shoulder, giggled. "He wants to meet with ye," she teased.

"So?" I asked, trying to control the smile on my face.

"Do ye like him?" she asked bluntly.

"What, no, he's just a friend," I objected.

"Who's just a friend," Fergus cut in, joining the conversation again.

"One of Punzie's rich clients. He's asking her if they can meet today," Merida answered with a sly grin on her face.

"Oh, well, why don't ye invite him over then?" Fergus asked.

I looked up at him, "Can I?"

Fergus nodded, "Sure, we got plenty of food to go around."

I smiled and quickly texted Jack back with an invitation and the address to Fergus's home before getting putting my phone away, my attention drawn to the sky that was turning various shades of pink and orange.

"It's almost time," Merida said, a grin on her face. Today was special, not just because it was the Fourth of July, but because it was also Mer's birthday. She'd turned twenty four today.

We continued to talk and as the sky gradually darkened another fold able table was brought out, a red table cloth draped over it and a cake was placed on top. Merida sat down with her back towards the fireworks, waiting for the clock to strike eight. The people gathered around and watched Fergus light the candles, while Guy went to handle the fireworks. As soon as the clock read eight a single firework was released, and Merida blew out her candles at the same time the firework burst in the sky.

The rest of the fireworks were set free and I got up to stand by the deck railing, content to watch them alone from that spot. Halfway through it all, someone placed a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Jack smiling down at me. I grinned up at him and my body subconsciously leaned closer to him, our arms touching as he came to stand next to me. We stood together under the night sky, not really saying anything, just watching the bright colors decorate the sky.

* * *

 **I'll try to update more frequently, but with school back I can't make any promises. Until next time :)**


	4. Chapter 4

_Novemeber 27, 2014_

 _It's been eight months since Flynn's death. Eight months of me trying to move on from the man I was together with for three years. I can at least say I don't sit on the floor anymore, staring at the wall in front of me for hours as if in a trance. I also don't sleep all day and night anymore, my sleeping schedule having been fixed for about a month now. I have begun to eat regularly, and I don't snap at anyone who tries to talk to me anymore. There are a lot of things I stopped doing and started doing ever since he died. The one thing I haven't been able to bring myself to do though is paint._

 _Flynn has been dead for eight months, and so had my art studio. I haven't visited it since the funeral, when I had stored everything away and locked it all up. Back when I used to paint, Flynn was always there. He used to love watching me do it, and on his days off from work he would come and act as my assistant, often bringing me coffee from Toothiana's Cafe or washing my brushes after I was done painting. Every time I thought about painting all I could picture was Flynn sitting next to me, watching as the canvas would turn from a plain white to a mixture of different colors with each brushstroke I made, often asking questions about why I did something or why I would choose a certain color._

 _Today though, all of that changed._

 _It would be my first Thanksgiving without him. Since no one wanted me to spend it alone I'd been invited to Merida's house to celebrate with her family._

 _The air was cold once I stepped outside, my apple pie clutched tightly in my right hand while the other closed and locked the door. I drove all the way to Merida's parent's house listening to Christmas music, because at this time of year I couldn't help it._

 _Once I arrived everyone turned to look at me, and I could see the pity in their eyes. I ignored it, mustering a smile and walking into the kitchen._

 _Throughout dinner I sat back and watched everyone talk. They talked about everything and everyone, and seeing the lightheartedness in their eyes and hearing their genuine laughs made me envy them. I used to be happy like that. I used to, and then suddenly I stopped being happy. I had become miserable, and angry, and even though I was getting better, I couldn't help but get mad. I'd been so caught up in the pain of losing my love, that I'd driven myself into a hole of destruction and misery. And...I was done. I knew I couldn't go back to being happy like I used to be just like that, but I did know that I could at least made the recovery road easier by trying, and by getting fully back up on my feet._

 _I got up abruptly, startling those around me._

 _"Punz...is everything alright?" Merida asked me. I looked at her, and at every other guest seated on the table._

 _"I have to go," I said, and with that I exited the house, my coat and purse in hand. I drove in silence, ignoring my phone when it rang._

 _I parked in front of my studio, staring at the darkness behind the glass windows. Taking a deep breath I grabbed the keys from my glove compartment and then got out of the car. I inserted it into the keyhole and then pushed the door open. Stepping inside I flipped the light switch on, surprised that the lights still worked. It was dusty inside, and cold. I hurried over to the thermostat and cranked up the heater, and then I looked at my surroundings. Everything was covered in dust. My various easels could be seen huddled into a corner in the back room, my palettes were all stuffed in a cardboard box, and my brushes...oh my poor brushes, they were lazily tossed into a smaller box that sat on top of a large wooden table in the corner of the room, half of them scattered on the floor._

 _The sight of it all brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them away. Running back to the car I grabbed my phone and various Cd's from the glove compartment. Walking inside again I shut the door and then found my CD radio player. Popping in a random CD I then took off my coat, tied my hair up into a ponytail, and then found a broom and duster. I cleaned and reorganized all night long, casually dancing all around the place as I did so and singing obnoxiously loud. Too caught up in the moment I didn't realize that as I pranced around the smile on my face was for once genuine._

...

September 6, 2015

It was my day off and I was lounging luxuriously on my living room couch, dressed in nothing but sweatpants and a bra. A tub of ice cream rested on my lap and I was binge watching all of the Disney movies I had collected over the years. Belle from Beauty and the Beast was about to be attacked by wolves when my phone rang.

Groaning I paused the movie and reached for the vibrating device. Jack's face showed up on my screen and I grinned before answering.

"Are you busy tonight?" Jack asked before I even had a chance to say anything.

"Um, no, today's my day off. Why?"

"There's a scary movie that I've been wanting to watch but I've got not one to go see it with. Will you go with me?"

I sat in silence for a few seconds, before stuttering out, "A-are you...asking me out?"

"Yes-no-yes. It doesn't have to be a date or anything if you don't want it to," he said quickly, and I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Okay, well, yeah I'd love to see a movie with you," I said, and I could hear exhale as if he'd been holding his breath.

"Great, I'll pick you up at seven," and with that he hung up. As soon as he did I looked at the time.

4:31 p.m.

Humming the tune of Beauty and the Beast I got up and strolled towards my room, opening my walk-in closet and surveying the vast amount of clothes that hanged there. I ignored the strange feeling in my stomach at the thought of going out with him tonight and instead walked inside.

...

I was sitting on the living room couch again, except this time I was dressed up for a night out in some jeans, combat boots, and a cute blouse with a leather jacket over it. September was barely here and already the air was getting chilly, but I couldn't find it in me to complain.

Once the doorbell rang I sprang to my feet, opening the door and smiling up at Jack, looking into the blue eyes I'd become so familiar with these past months.

"Hey, you ready to go?" he asked, stepping aside to let me through. I nodded, closing and locking the door behind me. He led me over to his car and we then made our way to the movies.

"So what are we watching," I asked from the passenger seat.

"Well, I can't remember the name, but it's a scary movie about this spirit thing that kidnaps children and kills the rest of the families. It's a sequel to another movie," he answered as we drove down the road.

"Oh, I think I know what movie you're talking about. Doesn't it start with an S or something?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I just can't remember the name."

"Ohh. How are Jamie's skating lessons going?"

Jack's face brightened when I brought up Jamie. The two of them were close, and Jamie now was like the little brother Jack never got.

"That kid doesn't even need lessons anymore, he's basically better than me. Oh, and he's not a kid anymore," Jack said, a grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, fifteen year old Jamie has now developed a crush on none other than my sister, Emerson."

"Really? What does Em think about that?" I asked, laughing at the thought of someone as sweet as Jamie crushing on Emerson.

Jack shrugged, "I don't even think she knows. She's very oblivious when it comes to that."

"Well, I think all girls at that age are," I said, turning to look out the window. The car was silent after that, until Jack spoke up again.

"Hey, so I was wondering, if you're not too swamped with work, if you could maybe do another painting, except this one would be just for me?"

I looked at him again and nodded, "Yeah, I'd love to do another painting. Is there anything specific you want?"

"Well," Jack said as he pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. "You know me and how I'm all about winter and stuff. Maybe you could do something related to that."

"You want a Winter Wonderland painting?" I asked as I unbuckled my seat belt.

"Yeah, sort of. Think of it as a Winter Wonderland with a twist," he said, and then got out of the car.

I got out too and then followed him as we made out way to the ticket booth. We purchased our tickets and then went inside. The movie theater wasn't as full of people as on the weekends, so we quickly got our drinks and popcorn.

Sitting down on our seats Jack turned to me. "If you get too scared just hand me the popcorn, they're too good to be dropped on the floor," he said with a smirk on his face.

I smacked his arm, pulling the popcorn away from him. "If you get too scared you're not allowed to hold my hand. There, I said it."

Jack cracked up and then sat back. Despite what I'd said, about halfway through the movie our hands ended up weaving together in a moment of fear. And yet, when that moment was over, they still stayed that way, never breaking apart until we said goodbye at my door later on that night.

* * *

 **Well would you look at that, another update that didn't take a month. Anyways, hope you liked it. Until next time :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_March 30, 2015_

 _"Then what did you say?" I asked into the phone as I fixed the sofa cushions which had been previously messed up by my last client's little boy._

 _'Ah told him he that if he wanted peace and quiet to read then to just go to the library, or to put on earmuffs. Ah wasn't going to stop mah workout just because he couldn't handle a little bit of noise,' Merida said, grunting as she put away her various weights into her closet._

 _'Ah swear Punzie, mah neighbor is such a sensitive nerd ' Merida complained from the other side of the phone._

 _"Well, Mer, he- what did you say his name was?"_

 _"Henry Ah think...wait no, he said everyone called him Hiccup."_

 _I giggled at the nickname, "Well, Hiccup has a point, Mer, you do have a habit of playing your music obnoxiously loud."_

 _I could practically see Merida rolling her eyes through the phone, "Says that lass who always blasts her radio because it annoys Gothel."_

 _"Hey!" I protested. "Gothel is a terrible neighbor and you know it."_

 _"Yeah, yeah. Anyways lass, Ah gotta go, Ah got work in an hour and Ah need to get ready."_

 _"Okay. Hey, are you still coming over at eight?" I asked as I sat behind my desk and began typing away on my computer._

 _"Ye know it," and with that Merida hanged up._

 _I put my phone next to me and began looking up the new paints I needed to order. Ever since I'd gotten back to work I'd been swamped with new orders on paintings. Ranging from pretty landscapes of someone's home to family portraits, and, my favorite order yet, a painting of someone's dog dressed in a little prince costume._

 _I'd just placed my order when the door to the studio opened. Looking up I saw a beautiful woman with brown hair walk in, a handsome young man walking in after her._

 _"Hello, how may I help you?" I asked as I stood, walking over to them._

 _"Hello, I saw that you take personal orders. I was wondering if you could do a portrait of someone?"_

 _"Yes, of course. Whom shall I be painting?"_

 _The woman stepped aside and gestured to the young man behind her who was slamming away at the keyboard on his phone. The woman cleared her throat and he looked up. His blue eyes locked with mine, subtly widening as he gave a not so subtle once over, and I tried to ignore the strange feeling of butterflies in my stomach that those blue eyes of his caused._

 _"This is my son, Jackson."_

 _Jackson stepped closer to me, holding out his hand. Placing my hand in his, he gently shook it before speaking._

 _"Nice to meet you," he said in a somewhat nervous voice. "Um, please, call me Jack."_

...

October 31, 2015

For the third time in that hour, I checked to make sure my costume looked okay.

"You look fine," Jack called out from the living room. With one last glance at my pirate captain costume I grabbed my phone and coat.

"Okay, I'm ready," I said.

"Finally," muttered Jack as he rose from the couch. He was dressed up as a zombie.

When we were outside I locked up the house behind me, then I pocketed my keys and followed Jack towards his car.

"Do you know how to get to Mer's apartment?" I asked as I buckled my seat belt.

Jack nodded, pulling out of the driveway and then driving off towards Merida's apartment. It was Halloween night, Merida's favorite holiday, and for the second year in a row she'd be hosting a Halloween party at her apartment.

As we drove I plugged in my phone to the car's aux cord. Grinning wickedly I pressed play on my favorite Halloween song. As soon as Jack heard the intro he laughed. The rest of the drive there we spent it dancing to the beat of the Spooky Scary Skeletons remix.

...

The entire floor seemed to vibrate as I made my way toward Mer's door. Not bothering to knock I swung the door open. Cringing at the extremely loud music I made my way to towards the speaker, lowering the volume so that I could actually hear myself talk. The people around me had looks of relief on their faces after I lowered the volume and I smiled at them.

Looking around and not finding Merida, I made my way towards Johnny and Mavis, who was sporting some really believable vampire fangs and a black dress. Once she saw me her face broke out into a smile.

"Well look who it is. Good ol' Captain Jack Sparrow," Mavis joked.

I laughed, bringing her in for a quick hug. "It's so good to see you. Where have you been?"

"Oh, here and there, everywhere," Mavis said. "Me and Johnny have been travelling a lot lately. We actually just got back from Europe a few days ago."

"Ooohh, I expect to hear all about it one day soon."

"Oh, you'll get it, girly."

"Hey, have you seen Merida?" I asked.

Mavis shook her head, " The last time I saw her she was talking with this guy dressed as a viking by the hallway earlier."

"Oh, thanks," I said, taking off my coat and draping it over a chair. As I walked towards the hall I could see Jack, Guy, and Kristoff all talking, their loud laughter rising above the music. Not looking where I was walking my body bumped into someone else's.

"Oh, I'm so sor-"

My words died in my mouth as I saw who it was.

"Max..." I said, taking a few small steps back. Before me stood Flynn's best friend, Maximus, although everyone called him Max.

"Rapunzel," he said in a cold voice. Max and I had been really close friends back in college, but once he found out I'd started dating Flynn all of that changed. He used to say that while I was a good person, I was not good for Flynn. Right now, looking up at him and seeing the pain of losing his best friend still fresh in his eyes, I knew he'd been right.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying my hardest to make my voice sound steady.

"Mer invited me. Said she wanted us to sort things out and become friends again," he said.

I arched an eyebrow, doubting his words. "That doesn't sound like Merida. If I recall correctly, the last time we were all in the same room together she told you to never get near us again, or so help-"

"-me god. Yes, I remember. I also remember that on that day my best friend was being put six feet under ground," his voice took on a dangerous edge, and he took a few steps towards me.

"So you still blame me for Flynn's death, huh?" I asked, backing up.

"Oh you bet I do," his steps grew larger as he walked towards me until he somehow had me cornered against a wall by the kitchen.

"It wasn't my fault, Max."

"The hell it's not. Flynn wouldn't have gone out that night if it wasn't for you."

I ran my hands through my hair, exasperated. "Flynn went out there because he chose to. I told him to forget it, but he insisted. How the hell could any of us have guessed he would've gotten shot?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, and I turned my head away from him as the spit flew from his mouth.

"I told you, Rapunzel, that dating Flynn was a bad idea. He was a poor guy who had worked hard to get into college, he didn't need some rich girl, who could just drop out like it was nothing, in his life," his face got close enough to where I could feel his breath and smell the alcohol, and my eyes couldn't help but tear up as he spat out those last words.

"Max, you're drunk. Please just calm dow-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" he screamed, this time loud enough to snag the attention of Mavis and Johnny who were in the next room.

"You don't get to tell me to calm down, you bitch-"

On instinct my hand flew to smack him across the cheek hard enough to make him stumble sideways. Ever since I was small, my dad had told me to never let someone disrespect me and let them get away with it. As soon as my palm touched Max's cheek though, I deeply regretted it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Max-"

Max whirled back around, the back of his palm connecting with my face with a loud smack. The impact of it sent me to the floor, and before I knew what was going on Max was on the floor next to me, except Jack was on top of him and his fist was slamming against Max's face.

Getting on my feet with the help of Mavis and Johnny I grabbed his arm.

"Jack, stop!" I yelled.

Kristoff and Guy grabbed him by the shoulders, lifting him off Max and restraining him. A very disheveled Merida and an equally disheveled young man, who I assumed was Hiccup, suddenly appeared behind me. Merida's lipstick was smudged, but I could guess where most of it had gone as I saw the other guy's equally painted lips.

"What the hell is goin' on here?" Merida demanded. Once she caught sight of Max her eyes widened and then narrowed. Max might have been intimidating before, but he was no match for Merida.

"What the hell are ye doing in mah house?" she demanded, her voice cold enough to silence everyone, even the music seemed to lower.

Max didn't answer, instead turning around and marching right out the front door. Merida's gaze then softened as she turned to look at me. She began to walk towards me but I held up my hands, not looking her in the eyes.

"Please, don't," and with that I walked out of the door too, grabbing my coat along the way and going in the opposite direction Max had gone. I felt humiliated. Not only had Max made a scene in front of all my friends, but he'd also conjured up the sympathy of everyone in the room. I didn't have to look to know they were sending worried and sad looks my way.

About half way down the block Jack caught up to me. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Home, Jackson."

"Woah, Jackson? Are you mad at me?" he asked, stepping in front of me and blocking my path. I glared up at him, not saying anything.

"Who was that guy?" he asked.

"No one," I tried to walk around him, but he grabbed my arm and made me face him again.

"A guy hits you so hard he knocks you over, and you expect me to believe he was no one? I saw the way he was looking at you, like he wanted the earth to split and swallow you whole. Who was he, Rapunzel?" he asked again, getting closer, grabbing both of my shoulders gently as he waited for me to look up at him and answer.

"He...he used to be Flynn's best friend," I finally said, still not looking up.

"His name is Max," I continued after Jack didn't say anything. "And the reason he hates me so much, is because he blames me for his death."

Jack sighed, but didn't say anything. Instead he pulled me in close, hugging me tightly until the only thing I felt was safe.

"He has no right to blame you," Jack said in a soft voice after a long moment of silence.

"I know."

"You wanna go home?" he asked, but I shook my head. I didn't want to go back to the place where Flynn's memory was the strongest.

"Can I, um," I looked up at him, "can I stay over at yours?"

Jack smiled, nodding. "Of course, although I must warn you, it's not the cleanest place at the moment."

"That's okay, I don't mind."

After that we walked back towards Merida's apartment. After having a long talk with her which consisted of a lot of hugs, me and Jack were on our way to his place. Jack lived on a nice and clearly rich neighborhood. I watched the nice apartment buildings in awe as we passed through the gate, because even if I had come here before, they never ceased to amaze me.

"Okay, so my room is full of clothes that are thrown all over the place. But, luckily for you, you'll be sleeping on the very comfortable and very nice looking pull out couch," Jack said once we were inside his huge apartment.

"Are you seriously boasting about your couch?"

"It shouldn't even count as boasting since your couch sucks," Jack said and he removed the cushions and pulled out the bed.

"No it doesn't!" I protested from my spot on the floor.

Looking me straight in the eyes, Jack said, "Yes, it does. It's always creaking, the cushions have been worn down, and it's full of ice cream stains."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't say anything else. Jack walked past me and into a room on the other side of the living room. Coming back a few seconds later he tossed a t-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms at my face.

"You can sleep in those," he said, and I could practically hear the smirk on his face.

"Thank you, Jackson."

Changing out of my clothes inside the bathroom, I took the time to inspect my face. The cheek Max had slapped was a light shade of pink. I sighed, still upset with the fact that he still couldn't forgive me. But knowing there was nothing I could do about it, I decided to just wash my face and then quickly dry it.

When I got out, Jack was laying down on the pullout bed, scrolling away on his phone. Walking quickly towards him I turned around to fall on my back, landing perfectly on top of him.

"Oof. Punz, why?"

I stood up again, giggling. "Get up. You've got your own bed, go sleep on it," I ordered jokingly.

Jack did what I said, groaning the entire time as he stood up and lazily waddled to his room. Coming back again he threw a pillow and covers at me, but this time I dodged the pillow to the face in time.

"Goodnight, Punz," Jack said with a grin on his face.

"Goodnight," I called out after him as he walked into his room. Shutting off the lights I jumped into bed, wrapping myself in the covers and burying my face in the pillow. Sleep came easy that night, and I slept soundlessly as dreams of blue eyes and mischievous grins danced before my closed eyes.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it. Until next time :)**


	6. Chapter 6

November 26, 2015

I'd just finished setting all of the food on the coffee table when I heard the front door being unlocked and then throw open.

"Hey Mer," I called out as I admired my all of my handiwork.

"Ah smell food!" Merida's voice shouted as she made her way over to the living room. She came to stand next to me and I turned to see her grinning excitedly at the vast amount of food on the table. When she finally turned to look at me I grinned back. We both nodded in understanding.

"You know what to do."

As soon as the words left my mouth Merida was rushing towards the kitchen, while I scrambled for the remote and scrolled through the endless movies on Netflix. When Merida returned with two large plates, cutlery, and wine glasses, I hit play on the movie I'd selected and then we both took our places on the floor.

...

As the credits rolled by, Merida finally set her fork down for the night. I turned the tv off and we both sat in silence, content with the large amounts of food we'd both consumed.

"We forgot to say what we're thankful for," I muttered as I rested my head back against the sofa. Merida groaned from her spot before opening her mouth to speak.

"Ah'm thankful for the good food."

We both giggled before it all got quiet again. Without really wanting to, I thought long and hard about what I was really thankful for.

"I'm...I'm thankful for all of the good memories Flynn and I made," I finally said, my voice so soft I was surprised Merida had even heard it. Opening my eyes and looking at her, I saw that she was already staring at me. She didn't look at me with sad eyes, though. She was smiling, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah, the lad really did make ye happy," she said, a knowing look in her eyes.

"Yes, he did."

Merida stood up from her spot and came over to my side, sitting besides me.

"What was it like, loving him?"

The question caught me off guard, and I had to take a few moments to think it over. Loving Flynn was like...it had been like being able to see after being blindfolded by your fears for so long. He'd helped me transform myself from a shy girl who couldn't even muster up the courage to answer the simplest of questions in class, to someone who now had her own business and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. He'd set me free from everything that had been holding me back. Loving Flynn had been freeing.

"Loving Flynn...was the most freeing sensation I've ever experienced in my entire life."

Merida was quiet, and I didn't have to look to know she had a smile on her face.

"And now..." she paused, waiting for me to finish the sentence.

"And now...it's time to let go..." as I said the words, my mind wandered over to those icy blue eyes I'd become so familiar with in the past months.

Merida wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, hugging me tightly before letting go and standing up. She disappeared down the hall, and I could only guess that she'd gone to destroy my poor toilet. I was halfway done cleaning up the table when she came back to help. Noticing the grin she was not trying to hide, I rolled my eyes.

"Did you at least use the air freshener I left out for you?"

Merida shrugged, and then walked off into the kitchen with an armload of plates and cutlery. We did our usual routine of one of us washing and the other drying, holding small conversation as we did so.

"So...remember Hiccup?"

"You mean your annoying neighbor who turned out to be not so annoying and also turned out to be Jack's best friend?"

Merida blushed, which was rare. "Y-yeah well, he...he asked me out...like on a proper d-date," she stuttered, which was even rarer.

As she caught sight of my raised eyebrow and knowing grin she spun the other way, avoiding eye contact with me at all costs.

"Well, what did you say?"

"Well obviously Ah said yes."

I couldn't help but giggle, setting down the plate that I had in my hands and drying them with the towel that I'd tossed over my shoulder. "Wait, so you guys have made out and everything-"

"Not everything."

"-and yet you haven't gone on a proper date?"

Merida nodded, finally turning around to face me. Her right hand was fumbling with the arrow necklace she'd gotten for her 16th birthday, something she did when she was nervous.

"You're nervous."

She nodded. Merida had never been big on the whole dating thing. Of course she'd had one or two boyfriends here and there, but she'd mostly always been focused on archery. Dating had never been a priority. Judging by how nervous she seemed now, I knew this was different.

"You really like this guy, huh? When's the date?"

"Tomorrow."

"What? Tomo-Tomorrow! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

She shrugged.

"Jesus, Mer. Come with me," I grabbed her hand and dragged her to my room. We plopped down on my bed and I began to question everything about the date.

"Where are you going? Is he picking you up? When is he picking you up? When are you coming back? You told him he's dropping you off at my place, right? Have you chosen an outfit?"

Merida was quick to answer all of them, except for the last one. She shook her head after a moment of silence, and I sighed.

"Okay, so you're going out to dinner at the Snuggly Duckling, that place is very fancy and there's a dress code, so you won't be able to wear anything of yours."

I rose from my spot on the bed and walked over to my walk-in closet. I could hear Merida groan as I pulled out all of the fancy dresses I owned. Spreading them all out on the bed, I let her inspect them all, waiting for her to choose one. Finally she grabbed a body-hugging white dress with an intricate lace pattern and a halter neckline and strolled into the closet, shutting the doors without looking back.

While she changed, my phone began to vibrate from its spot on the nightstand. Jack's face smiled back at me as I grabbed it, and I couldn't help but smile as I answered.

"So he's alive after all," I teased. I hadn't heard from him all day, and it felt like a relief to hear his voice.

Jack laughed from the other end of the phone, and I could hear the faint sound of muffled voices. "Yeah, sorry, it's just that as soon as I came home mom busied us all with chores to make sure the house was nice and spotless once our family came over. I was going to text you after I was done, but then mom confiscated the phones, saying that she wanted us to actually communicate with each other this year."

I shook my head, not able to contain the grin on my face while fully aware that he couldn't see me doing this. "Well, I can't say I blame your mom, you do tend to get distracted easily when you're phone is in your hand."

"Hey!"

"How was your thanksgiving?" I asked before he could say anything else.

"It was good. The food was so good, I ate so much that I actually threw up a little afterwards."

"That's gross, and yet I know exactly what that's like."

Jack laughed from the other end of the phone, "How was yours?"

"It was good, Mer came over and we ate in the living room while watching a movie on Netflix."

"Thanksgiving is supposed to be about spending time with family, not watching movies Netflix," Jack teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatev- Jack I'm going to have to call you back later," I said suddenly, not even giving him a chance to answer as I ended the call. Before me stood Merida in the dress she'd picked, her hair swept to one side, and wearing a nude pair of heels she'd found in my closet.

"You look...gorgeous...oh my god. That's it, that's the one, don't bother trying anymore on."

Merida beamed, and then walked over to the mirror on the other side of the room. She admired her reflection with a smile on her face. She turned to me, and nodded, "Yea, this is the one."

* * *

 **This is short, but that's what I was going for. Somehow I finally managed to finish this goddamn short-ass chapter in the midst of all of that is going on, thank tha Lord. I'll try and get the next one out before Thanksgiving. Until next time :)**


	7. Chapter 7

December 5, 2015

1:05 a.m.

 _'This can't be happening. This can't be happening'_

Those words kept repeating themselves inside my head.

I hadn't realized I was shaking until Merida put a hand on my shoulder, calming me. We'd been here for hours now, waiting to hear something.

Hiccup came back from the cafeteria holding three cups of coffee. His eyes were bloodshot, and I could tell he'd been crying. He handed each of us our own cup, and then took off his jacket, draping it over Merida, who was trying not to shiver in the cold hospital waiting room.

They'd come straight here from their second date, which had been cut short. My hands trembled as they took the cup of coffee, but I still managed to drink it without spilling it all over myself. It was hot, and tasted surprisingly well for hospital coffee.

"Family of Jackson Frost?" a doctor called out as he walked into the waiting room. All three of us stood up immediately, waiting anxiously on what the doctor had to say.

"Come with me," he said with a sigh, and my stomach dropped.

...

 _9:16 p.m._

 _It was late, but I was still stuck at my studio. A cat had gotten in through a window I had left open while I'd gone out to buy myself dinner and had spilled a lot of paint and dirty water on the floor._

 _"Yeah, this isn't gonna come off," Jack said as he dropped the wet rag in defeat. He'd come rushing to the studio after I'd let out a scream while on the phone with him upon finding the huge mess._

 _"Don't tell me that! Look at this, it looks like a unicorn had an accident."_

 _Jack chuckled, getting up and ruffling my hair._

 _"It's not coming off, but look on the bright side, most people love unicorns."_

 _I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand away. Suddenly the front door was thrown open and a young man dashed inside. He closed the door behind him and locked it, plastering his face to against the glass as if looking for someone._

 _Jack and I looked at each other, both confused and unsure of what to do._

 _"Who are you?" I finally asked._

 _He whirled around, as if surprised to find people inside. He didn't answer. He looked about my age. He had fair skin, light brown eyes, and tousled blond hair. He was wearing a dirty yellow hoodie._

 _"Who are you? And why are you here?" Jack asked again after the guy failed to answer me, pushing me behind him gently. I rested one hand on his arm, peeking out from behind him at the stranger._

 _"Please, I need you to not make a sound, and if they ask, you didn't see me," the young man said. He started to make his way towards the back of the studio, but before he could even make it the sound of a gunshot and breaking glass echoed throughout the studio. Whoever the guy had been running from had found him, and he'd shot him through the large window on the back, glass raining down all over the floor._

 _I gasped, and both Jack and I stood in shocked silence as we watched the guy fall to floor with a jolt. I let go of Jack and rushed towards him once my initial shock was over, but another bullet struck the ground before me. It was a warning to not go near him._

 _Me and Jack turned to see a man with yellow eyes and pitch black hair crawl in through the now shattered window. He stared at the young man sprawled out on the floor, his body completely still._

 _"Oh Sandy...you should've listened to your father when you had the chance," he muttered to himself, before his eyes made their way to me._

 _"I'm really sorry you had to see that," he said, and then raised the gun again._

 _Jack rushed to step in front of me, his body tense, and his hands shaking from anticipation and fear. The yellow-eyed man raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged._

 _"Killing you first won't be a problem," and then he fired straight at his abdomen. Once. Twice. Jack crumpled to the floor. I stared horrified as his blood began covering the floor. I didn't even realize I was screaming until my voice suddenly gave out, my throat feeling raw._

 _The muffled sound of police sirens was heard, but I wasn't paying attention. I hadn't even noticed when the yellow-eyed man had gone, all I could do was sit down next to Jack and hold him, sobbing as I gripped him tightly. I prayed to whoever was up there that he didn't die._

 _At one point the paramedics pried me away from him, lifting him onto a gurney and then carrying him away towards one ambulance, the blond boy following closely behind on his own gurney._

 _"Ma'am? Do you know these young men? Can you tell us what happened" a paramedic asked me once I was outside. I nodded, pointing towards the ambulance Jack was on, but then shook my head and pointed at my throat._

 _"You can't speak? Damn it. Well, come with us, we need to have you checked out as well, and the police will want to ask you a few questions."_

 _I nodded again, and then followed him as he walked over to the ambulances._

...

8:24 a.m.

We'd spent the night in Jack's room, none of us wanting to leave his side. His parents had been called, but neither had answered since the place where they were currently staying in while on vacation had crappy signal.

Merida was asleep on the couch by the window, Hiccup on a chair on Jack's right side, and me on another chair on his left. Jack's mumbling was what caused me to stir, but the slap to the face is what woke me up. I bolted upright to see him flailing his arm around, trying to get my attention.

"Oh my god," my hoarse voice croaked out. I smacked the top of Hiccup's head, and he sat up too, confused at first and then beyond happy to see Jack awake.

Jack looked very drowsy, and tired, but he had a small grin on his face.

"Jack, you bastard!" Hiccup cried out as he threw his arms around him. Jack winced in pain, but patted him weakly on the back. His eyes then found mine, and he reached out to take my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"What happened to your voice?" he asked curiously.

"We'll talk about that later."

Jack nodded, and then soon after that a nurse came in to check on him.

...

December 15 , 2015

10:16 p.m.

"Are you sure you can do this by yourself?" I asked as we stood at the bottom of the stairs that lead to his apartment. Jack nodded, a look of determination came over his face. He gripped the railing tightly, and then began the slow ascent upwards.

It took us only ten minutes- which was less than what I had originally thought- to reach his floor. Jack, breathless and leaning against the railing, waited as I unlocked his door and then helped him inside.

The doctors said he was lucky to have survived, since they thought that if the blood loss didn't kill him, then the surgery surely would. And it almost did. Jack's heart had stopped for four minutes while he was on the table.

Walking into the apartment I let Jack wander off to his bedroom while I locked the front door again and set down all of his stuff. On his third day of staying at the hospital Jack's parents had finally been reached. They'd flown back home that same day and spent three days in the hospital with him, bringing with them various gifts they'd bought him while they were away, never leaving his side until they'd been assured he'd be okay. Now they were away again, on business as usual.

Leaving everything sprawled out on the living room floor I went to find Jack. I came face to face with his bare, and quite toned and very bandaged, abdomen. He had been in the middle of changing from a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie into a soft t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms.

"Oh, god- I didn't know you were changing" I said as I backtracked out of the room. I could hear him laugh, and then he reached out and pulled me inside.

"I'm decent now, you can come in."

I rolled my eyes, instead focusing on the surprisingly clean room. "Wow...this was not what I expected from your room."

Jack arched an eyebrow as he pulled back his covers. "Did you expect a pig's nest?" he asked with a grin.

"Uh, yeah, I actually did."

"I'm offended. Not all of us men are gross."

"You dropped some Jell-O at the hospital before you were discharged and scooped it back up and ate it."

Jack sat down on the bed, holding his arms out, "It's the five second rule."

"It's gross," I said as I went over and helped him get settled into bed. After I was done I started making my way out of the room, but Jack grabbed my hand, stopping me.

I looked back at him, confused. "Please...stay?"

He sounded so...vulnerable, and unsure of himself. His eyes now projecting a different emotion from the one before. He was holding my hand tightly, and looked...scared. I nodded immediately and he relaxed. I went around turning off all the lights first, before finding an old t-shirt in Jack's closet and a changing into it inside the bathroom. When I came back out Jack's eyes widened slightly and he ran his eyes up and down my body before turning away quickly, trying to hide the deep blush on his face. I kept my eyes on the floor as I walked over to the left side of the bed. I climbed in, facing Jack. He faced me too, and neither said anything for a while.

"You...you almost died," I finally whispered.

Jack only nodded. He pushed some of my hair out of my face, and then caressed my cheek. I sighed, closing my eyes and then leaning into his touch. After he pulled his hand away, I moved closer to him.

"Please...don't ever do that again."

"Do what?"

"Step in front of a bullet for me. I...I couldn't," I paused, the intensity of his blue eyes too much for me to handle, and I instead grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him close until my face was buried in the crook of his neck. " I couldn't handle the idea of you dying because of me... I can't... I can't lose you, Jackson."

Jack wrapped an arm around me. "I can't promise you that I won't. Can't you realize," he pulled back and hooked his hand under my chin, lifting my face so I could see him, "I can't lose you either."

We stared at each other for a few moments in utter silence. My eyes began to form tears, and under the moonlight I could see Jack's eyes also fill with tears. I couldn't do this anymore. My hand found its way to the back of his neck, and without thinking too much into it, I pulled him close, our lips crushing together gently.

I could tell it took him by surprise, as he was frozen for a few seconds, but he eventually returned my kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist, while mine wrapped around his neck. It was slow, and gentle at first, both of us aware of how fragile this moment was. But then the past few months of longing took over, and the kisses grew more heated. Jack eventually settled over me, tossing his shirt to the other side of the room before continuing.

At some point the rest of our clothes were discarded. I hesitated at first, afraid Jack might hurt himself, but after sensing my uneasiness he assured me that he was fine. The rest of the night seemed like a blur, all of it mixing together in a delicate mess of hands, passionate kisses, and murmured names.


	8. Chapter 8

December 20, 2015

"Jackson if you take one more step towards me I will hit you with this frying pan," I warned, holding out the pan in front of me as Jack stood in the doorway of the small kitchen, dressed in his navy blue ski jacket and black pants, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"But-"

"No buts!"

Jack laughed, taking off his gloves and throwing them on the counter besides him. He leaned against door frame and looked around the kitchen at the mess I'd created. "What's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," I answered, lowering the frying pan slowly and placing it back on the stove. "But you won't get any if you don't get out of here, I don't trust you enough to turn my back on you."

Jack's hand flew to his chest and his eyes widened with feigned hurt, but then he grinned and left the small kitchen. Sighing, I picked up the large green bowl that contained the pancake mix and poured a generous amount on the heated griddle in front of me. While the pancakes cooked I took the time to survey the small kitchen I hadn't been able to last night, since we were all exhausted from the long drive, and in which I'd be cooking for the next two weeks. Jack's birthday was coming up, and after being bedridden for weeks because of the surgery, Jack had decided that he wanted to come spend it at his family's ski house with Hiccup, Merida, and I. It was small enough to feel cozy, yet big enough that we didn't feel suffocated.

"Hey, Punz, are the pancakes almost ready? Ah'm starving," Merida called out from the living room, where her and Hiccup were watching a Nightmare Before Christmas.

"Yeah, almost!" I called back, rolling my eyes and smiling at Merida's usual impatience when it came to food.

Ten minutes later I strolled into the living room with a giant stack of pancakes on a large plate in one hand, and smaller plates and cutlery on the other, the syrup tucked under my arm.

"Okay, what part are we on?" I asked as I settled myself in between Jack and Merida on the floor, placing the pancake plate in front of all of us and passing around the smaller plates.

"Santa Clause just got kidnapped," Merida answered, and then proceeded to stack a generous amount of pancakes onto her plate.

...

December 21, 2015

"Happy Birthday!" we all shouted as Jack walked into the living room, startling him and causing him to trip backwards mid-yawn.

"I'm okay," Jack grunted, getting up and walking eagerly towards the big birthday cake we'd placed on the coffee table. _'Happy Birthday Old Man Winter'_ was scribbled across the white frosting in blue, cursive letters, and a few snowflake sprinkles surrounded it. Jack rolled his eyes once he read it, but there was a huge grin on his face.

"Is this what we're eating for breakfast?" he asked.

"Yes, but only after you blow out the candle and make a wish," I said, pulling out a tiny blue candle and a lighter from my pocket. I put the candle on the edge of the cake and lit it, while Jack raised an eyebrow. "Do I really have to make a wish?"

"If you want any of that cake then yes."

Jack sighed, but closed his eyes, bending down over the candle. Without making any noise, Hiccup plucked the candle out of the cake, I crept over to stand besides him, and Merida pulled out her phone and began recording. Jack was humming, clearly pretending to think of a wish. Once he'd "thought" of one, he puckered his lips, opened his eyes, and I slammed his face into the the very center of the cake.

Loud laughter echoed all over the house. Hiccup was on the floor, one hand slapping the hardwood floor, while the other still clutched the now-extinguished blue candle. Merida, who had doubled over once she'd stopped recording, was now running into the kitchen to fetch the back up birthday cake we'd made. And I, with tears running down my cheeks as silent laughter shook my entire body, had led Jack over to the couch and had begun to clean the frosting out of his eyes.

"You guys are assholes," he said as he blew bits of frosting and cake out of his nostrils.

Nobody answered him for a long while. By the time our laughter had died down, his face was once again clean, and we were all seated around the coffee table, munching on the back-up cake.

"Oh, this video is gold, Ah have to post it," Merida said, grinning as she replayed the video once again.

"Make sure to tag all of us," Hiccup said, now flipping through the channels to look for anything interesting to watch.

"Man, and to think I was nice enough to invite you all here. I came out here to have a good time," Jack grumbled, but I could see the ghost of a smile on his face as he shoveled more cake into his mouth.

"Well, I think now would be a good time to bring out the presents," I said, standing up and rushing out of the room, hearing Jack say, "You got me presents? Really?"

I opened the master bedroom and walked over to my side of the bed, kneeling down and pulling three neatly wrapped presents from under it. When I came back, the table had been cleared of all the plates and cake, and Jack sat in front of it, his eyes wide and shining with anticipation like a little kid.

"Okay, this one is from Hic, that one is mine, and this one is Mer's," I said, laying them out in front of him. Jack's eyes surveyed each of the presents before he reached out and picked up Hiccup's. Merida nudged me, signaling to Jack with her head and giving me a knowing look. I nodded and pulled out my own phone form my pocket, hitting record just as Jack tore off the paper, littering it all over the floor. His eyes widened once he saw what the pretty blue wrapping had been concealing.

"Oh my-No way!"

...

"Are you sure? I mean you won't get better if you don't practice," Jack said as we stood on the porch of the house. After unwrapping the presents -Hiccup had gotten Jack a new game that I'd already forgotten the name of, Merida had gotten him a mug that had a snowflake pattern, and I had gotten him a new watch with a personalized message on the leather strap- we had gone skiing. To say that it was a disaster was an understatement, so we'd come back home so I could rest after the various falls I'd had.

"Yes, skiing is not my thing, Jack, we all saw that today."

"Yeah, we did," Jack chuckled. I glared at him, and he stopped. "Okay, well then, Hic, Mer, and I will be back by four, at the latest."

I nodded. "Be careful."

"I always am," Jack reached out and lifted my face, pulling it towards his for a quick kiss goodbye. "Oh and by the way, thank you for the present, I loved it," and with that he marched off to join the others.


End file.
